Fate's Pawn: Wishes Three

Chapter Five: Our Journey

The question was still bouncing around in my mind as we crept through the alleyways. I understood our need for stealth but I still wasn’t comfortable at the tight corridors we were forced through. And every step made the blisters on my feet throb harder in response. I didn’t get how mortals were able to get anywhere at all with as much agony as I was in. Did I really want to become a normal human and have to endure this all the time? Was it even possible for me to escape the curse I had borne for so long?

“You’re quiet, are you okay?” Dagon didn’t look at me as he continued to scan every bush or dark shadow we had to go near. “We have to keep it down, but if you need to rest or need anything else let me know. It could take us a while to get to my friend’s house, but it’ll be worth it when we’re there. It’ll be a place where you can be safe for real this time.”

“I thought I would have been safe in the hotel.” I sighed and took another step before wincing and lifting it up. My blisters were more than I could endure, humans were a marvel to withstand this torment.

“You’re having problems with all this walking, aren’t you?” Dagon looked around us. “I would have preferred if we could have continued on for a bit longer, but I realize that we’re just going to slow down more and more as we go with you in that shape.” He sighed. “I guess there’s no fighting it. I’ll have to use a wish so you don’t suffer anymore.”

I stopped moving altogether. I could only stare at him. “You’d waste a wish on me?” I demanded. There was no way I had heard right.

“Of course.” His response sounded natural as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. What was with this guy?

“You can’t do that.” I shook my head. “I can walk. It can’t be that far, right? You said we’d get there by tonight.” I lifted my chin in defiance and took another step. The pain lanced through me but I forced myself to go on. “See? No need to waste a wish.”

Dagon chuckled. “Acacia.” I looked up as he said my name. This tone of his was new, it was the tone of a master. “I wish for you to create a good-natured magic carpet for us to ride to our destination that can fly as high as a bird, and can land perfectly smooth, as well as strong enough to carry the both of us without issue.”

Golden sparkles rose into the air around me like fireflies. Maybe it wasn’t the best for stealth's sake, but I was enjoying the show regardless. The magic flowed through me around me in an embrace. My wrists glowed with the intense golden light and the dancing dots started to solidify. Had he given me an accurate enough wish, or had he just signed himself up to be my latest on my failure list? I tried not to focus on any of the things that could go wrong, I couldn't let this wish fail. The glow got brighter and started to burn me so I clenched my eyes shut as tight as I could.

“Acacia!”

My eyes shot open at my master’s voice and I blinked at the harsh light until it faded away. A golden carpet hovered in front of us, but there was one issue. It was just a single square. Only one of us was going to be able to fit on this thing. “I’m so sorry, Master!” I squeaked as I bowed my head.

“Dagon, remember?” He corrected. “Look at the bright side. Besides the size thing which I forgot to order, we have a ride that will get us to my friend’s house. We won’t be able to be followed unless they waste their own wishes, and best of all it’ll be much faster than walking. All you have to do is sit on my lap and we should be fine.”

My master had wasted no time in sitting on the floating square and patted his lap for me to join him. I still couldn’t believe that he had used one of his wishes just because the state of my shell body. If he were to keep his word and really wish for my freedom with his last wish, that meant that he only had one remaining.

“Sit, Acacia.”

His words tore through my mental fog and I obeyed. It wasn’t until I was on his lap and held surprisingly close to him did I realize an issue. “Dagon?”

“Yes?” Those dark blue eyes of his locked onto me.

“How do we direct this thing?”

Dagon blinked and pulled me tighter against his chest as we rose into the air. At least we didn’t shoot right up, I would have been terrified if that had happened. Instead, we just lifted and the ground fell out from before us. All the way up we rose, past the rooftops and to the height that birds flew. I shivered and tried to not focus on how small of an area our carpet took. “I guess there was more than one thing that I forgot when I crafted the wish. Even being careful I made some mistakes. I’ll have to make sure that my last wish is absolutely perfect to protect you, Acacia.”

The chill from our ascension chilled my skin and I snuggled against his warmth. I hadn’t noticed before but his entire body was my own personal furnace. The carpet had stopped rising straight up and even though I had no idea where we were going, it appeared to. It rocked us back and forth as it zoomed toward our destination. The scenery around us blurred and the cold air stung my cheeks. With a whimper not only from discomfort but of fear, I turned my head into Dagon’s chest.

I trembled against him for just a moment before a warm hand caressed my head and he started to soothe me with a pat. “Trust in yourself more. I forgot some key things, but your magic is strong. At least I didn’t make any fatal mistakes as others have before me. This will get us to my friend’s and then we can focus on taking care of you and freeing you from all of your bonds.”

I couldn’t stay silent anymore. I pulled away a bit from his warmth and peered up at him. “You realize that if you really go through with what you’re suggesting, you’ll only have one wish left, right?”

Dagon’s lip curled and he smiled. “That might be, yes. I’ll just make sure to make that one count as well as this one did.”

“You should probably wish for better than this one did.”

Dagon clucked his tongue at me. “What did I just say?” He shook his head. “This wish turned out just fine. In fact, we’re nearly there. We’re even slowing down now and starting our descent.”

“How can you say this one turned out fine? The carpet can’t be controlled, it’s barely big enough for us, it’s likely we won’t even be able to use it again since it’s just taking us to our destination. It was a waste of a wish.”

Dagon pulled me closer to him until I was nose to nose. “Listen, Acacia, whatever I do for you, is never a waste. True I could have thought this wish out more, I could have worded it a bit more perfect. But it’s a lesson I have now learned and neither I nor you were put in any danger because of it. In fact, it brought us out of danger. Using a wish on you is worth it if it means that you will be safe and free from the clutches of others. I’m not going to be barbaric and say that you are mine, but I will always take care of you and protect you as long as I have breath in my body. I’ll use every wish I have if it keeps you alive and safe.”

I stared deep into his eyes. Surely he must be trying to trick me. Why would anyone rescue a genie only to use their wishes on said genie? It didn’t make any logical sense. I wanted to ask a million questions, I wanted to press him but only one word slipped out of my lips. “Why?”

“Because you’re worth it. Having you beside me is worth it all. I’m going to say something that might scare you, but I’m going to say it anyway. I need you to pay complete attention.”

Scare me? I nodded for him to continue. Whatever he had to say, he was my master and I’d have to endure it. It was about time his true colors showed.

“I love you.”

What? Clearly I hadn’t listened or given him my complete attention. “What do you mean?”

He chuckled at me. “What I said, Acacia. I’ve studied you and your history for so long, I knew that I would love you as I learned more and more. All I want in this life is to be by your side. You don’t even have to be physical with me, just let me worship you, and serve you for a change. When I saw you at the auction, I knew that I’d do anything to protect you, to keep you safe from all others.”

“You don’t even know me.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest, a risky move considering how small our square of carpet was. “How could you love me?”

“Call it whatever fairytale name you wish. Soul mates, bonded, true love, all of those mean the same thing to me when it comes to you. I’m going to take your powers away with my last wish, and bind us together forever if you’ll allow it.”

“Bind?” I didn’t like that word. My wrists started to ache beneath my golden bracelets. I pulled myself up to my full height, which wasn’t considerable, but I had to make sure that my master understood every word. “You can call it whatever you like, and maybe your affection is true, but Master, I don’t love you, and if you bind us together you could be miserable as well if I never return your feelings.”

There was no pain, no hurt in his eyes. Instead, he smiled. “Well, I’ll just make you fall for me then, Acacia.”

The hairs on my arms rose up at his self-confidence. “Are you going to wish it so?”

“No, when you fall for me, it’ll be of your own will. I won’t use a wish to force you, but once I figure out how to word it I’ll make sure that my second wish will see that I live forever by your side so I can prove to you every single day just how much I love you and the extent I will go for you. I know you’ll love me back, Acacia.”

I tried to shift backward and away from him when the carpet tilted back. I scrambled to right myself before I fell and I clutched onto Dagon’s arms leaving deep scratches on his shoulders. I couldn’t even form words of request as I started to tumble. His arms circled around me and he held me close to him as he tried to lean back onto the carpet. Instead of me falling backward, he did. We both tumbled off our patch of safety and onto the hard ground below. The only saving grace was that indeed we had descended quite a bit. Instead of being at the height of birds, our fall was only equivalent to a single story.

Dagon’s body hit the harsh earth with a thump and a cry of pain slipped from his lips. His hold on me tightened and he pulled me close as he gasped. “Acacia, are you okay?” his eyes were even clouded with pain and his first thought was of me? My brain couldn’t handle this and I nodded as he smiled at me before his body went limp.